Impolite Company

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S3 Ep1: This Is My Story with Megan Westra Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

This Is My Story is a special season of Impolite Company focused on telling the stories of women who have made voting an act of faith. In this first episode, we talk with Megan Westra, a Milwaukee-based pastor and author of the new book Born Again and Again: Jesus' Call to Radical Transformation.
You can find Megan online at meganwestra.com and buy her book by supporting independent bookstores.
Continue the conversation with us at facebook.com/thisismystoryproject
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: AMY SULLIVAN: I’m Amy Sullivan, and you’re listening to This Is My Story, a special season of Impolite Company. Each week, we’ve be joined by a woman who was once solidly rooted in the world of conservative white Christianity, but whose faith and politics have since shifted. She’ll tell us that story, about what convicted her to see loving her neighbor as a commandment to shape not only how she lives her life, but also how she votes. In this first episode, I’m talking with Megan Westra, a Milwaukee-based pastor and writer. Megan grew up in Appalachia, in the kind of evangelical community where sometimes kids rededicated themselves to Christ before they were even out of elementary school—because you can never be too sure. She’s the author of a new book called “Born Again and Again: Jesus’ Call to Radical Transformation.” It takes a hard look at the stories so many of us were taught about Christianity, unravels them, and then puts them back together with refreshingly practical suggestions for both churches and individuals who are looking to embody a different kind of Christianity. As Lisa Sharon Harper says in her foreword to the book, “Megan invites those disillusioned by a white Jesus to be born again, again.” And in Megan’s case, that may technically be born again, again, again. But I’ll let her tell it. This is her story. MEGAN WESTRA: I was born and raised right on the West Virginia/Virginia border, so in the Appalachian mountains. A little bit further north than the heart of the Bible Belt, but still definitely in that part of the country. The very first church experience I had was we went to a United Methodist congregation for the first ten years of my life that my great-grandparents had helped found. I was super-super-churched—going to the United Methodist church on Sundays, but then I went with a friend to an Awana program at their Baptist church. I was a kid of the South in the 90s! If there was a church thing, I was there. Church camp, church whatever. In my book, I talk about how I got saved for the first time when I was four years old, apparently. I don’t remember that, but that’s what my mom always told me. From the get-go—I do not have memories outside of a life that was steeped in some kind of faith. Now, granted, growing up it was this very traditionally evangelical—like, altar calls at the end of every service, “If you were driving home from church tonight and you got in a car accident, do you know where you would go?” Right, that kind of rhetoric. And very much defined by all of the markers that we’ve become familiar with since 2016, as far as, what are the things that evangelicals care about. Well, we want somebody who says that they oppose abortion. And I want to be real clear—they say that they oppose abortion. AS: And were those messages, in terms of what the political priorities were, cultural priorities—were those explicit? Or are those things that you just pick up from being part of the community? MW: That we should support pro-life candidates, and only pro-life Republican candidates, was pretty explicit from really early on in my life. I remember being in elementary school, and I was watching Nickelodeon with my cousins at my grandparents’ house, and there was a kids’ election poll. I don’t even remember who was running—it was one of the Clinton terms, though. You still called in on your landline phone because cellphones weren’t a thing yet. And you pressed “1” to vote for one person and “2” to vote for the other. My cousins both called in and voted for Bill Clinton. And I was like, “I’m sorry—what? What? That’s not allowed.” That was my framework, even as a young child. You’re not allowed to do that and love Jesus. AS: I love that you write about rededicating your life to Christ by the age of, what, 12? MW: Yeah! The ripe old age of 12! AS: You are not the first person I’ve talked to who felt like they must have erred at some point and had to rededicate themselves at age 8 or 10 or 12. What was your sense of what was required of you as a Christian? MW: I don’t even know if I had a really strong sense of what that would have looked like. If someone had sat 10-year-old me down and told me my life: Megan, you are in church three days a week and you help your parents with things and you go visit your grandparents. All the little things that kids do to try to be good little humans. If somebody had sat me down and said, what else would the Lord require of you? I don’t think I could have answered that question. It more came down to this constant image of God that I was being fed, by faith leaders from the pulpit on Sunday mornings, in Sunday school lessons. That God was angry and needed to be appeased. You had to accept Jesus into your heart. And God killed Jesus so that you could be—not even okay with God, but God wouldn’t burn you forever because God killed God’s son. That’s such a horrible story. That’s a terrible story! AS: Well, it’s definitely not an uplifting story, that’s for sure. You know, I really connected to the kind of Catch-22 that you write about, that if you’re a child who grows up in the church, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re already on the straight and narrow. And yet the church places such an emphasis on having a story of transformation. What do you do if there’s no turnaround that has to be effected? I’m wondering—so you’re a self-described super-church kid, you’ve been saved multiple times. What was your thinking as you approached the end of high school? MW: I’m feel like I’m kind of a stereotype because I came up through youth group in a period when the assumption was: “When you get to college, your faith is going to be challenged. You’re going to have to work really hard to not let the ‘liberal’ professors pull you away from God. So be prepared. Be prepared to have to stand for your faith. Going into the university, be prepared to be persecuted. Be ready.” So I went a small Christian college in part because that was, “Well, if you don’t want to be completely dragged away, you should go to a Christian college. It’ll still be hard! You’re still going to be pulled by the influences of the world and of academia! But at least you’ll have some strong Christian professors who will be helping you.” I went to a small Christian college there in my hometown, both because that seemed to make a lot of sense and my parents really encouraged that. I didn’t give a whole lot of thought to it beyond, I need to be prepared to defend my faith, even on this small Christian college campus. And just assumed that was what I would have to do, that I would get there and there would be some professors that would be really supportive and there would be professors who would try to “lure” me away. I remember in my freshman year, all of us from a fundamentalist background whispering about a professor who didn’t believe in inerrancy. There would be some professors who would try to lure me away. I remember in my freshman year, all of us whispering—those of us who were coming out of a more fundamentalist background: “Oh, watch out for this one professor. He doesn’t believe in inerrancy. You have to be careful in his class!” And I just laugh about that now, because I’m like, “Oh, man, I probably should have paid more attention in his class. I probably would have learned some really great things.” AS: But it turns out that your faith was challenged in college. Just not in the way you had anticipated...
Link to full transcript of This Is My Story, Episode 1

S3: Coming Soon: A Special Season of Impolite Company Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

Coming Soon: This Is My Story, a special season of Impolite Company, focused on telling the stories of women who have made voting an act of faith.
TRAILER TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Amy Sullivan, and you’re listening to This Is My Story, a special season of Impolite Company. In the conservative Baptist church in the Midwest where I grew up, women weren’t allowed to have roles in Sunday worship, outside of the music ministry. They didn’t even pass out bulletins as ushers. Although, to be honest, I’m not sure what biblical authority would have been violated there. Instead, once a year, we’d hold Women’s Sunday, letting women pretend they were in charge for the day. There was obviously no question of having a woman preach. So instead of a sermon, every year one woman would share her testimony. Because apparently the men of the church decided that was safe. After all, it was just her own story. They didn’t understand the power of stories. You see, personal stories are how we relate to one another. More than that, research tells us that the most effective social change happens through storytelling, that people are most persuaded by their peers who have stood where they are. People need to feel understood, and they need to hear that change is possible. That’s why I’ve left two decades in journalism to launch This Is My Story, a new initiative to help women tell their stories of making voting an act of faith. In each of the twelve weeks between now and Election Day, this special podcast season of the same name will tell the story of a different woman’s shift in her faith and politics, about what convicted her to see loving her neighbor as a commandment to shape not only how she lives her life, but also how she votes. We’ll talk to women who were once firmly in the conservative Christian world. They include former street-corner evangelists, crisis pregnancy clinic workers, and a surprising number of former missionaries. You’ll hear how each of them ventured outside the bubbles in which they’d been raised, and what it was that caused them to embrace a kind of politics that’s more focused on loving our neighbors than protecting an in-group. We would love to have you join us for this special season. Subscribe to Impolite Company wherever you listen to podcasts. And follow us on ThisIsMyStoryProject.com for more conversation, free downloads, and live events. It’s long past time to use the power of our stories to bring about justice and change.

S3 Ep1: "I'm So Tired of Being Yelled At" Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

Your eyes and ears do not deceive you! We are back with a special Campaign 2020 episode. This episode was recorded before the South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday (in other words, when many more candidates were still in the race), but we take a look at the Democratic presidential campaign in its entirety.
That means finding possible silver linings for future female candidates, looking at how this cohort of candidates talked about their faith, and whether the Democratic Party needs to put out a welcome mat for voters who may disagree with the party platform on some key issues. (Spoiler alert: the answer is YES.)

S2 Ep9: Religious Liberty in America: From Burning Convents to Baking Cakes May 10, 2019

Show notes

This week Amy is joined by journalist and author Steven Waldman, whose new book SACRED LIBERTY: AMERICA'S LONG, BLOODY, AND ONGOING STRUGGLE OVER RELIGIOUS FREEDOM was published this week.

Their conversation covers the long and evolving history of religious liberty in America, the fact that anti-Catholicism has been the most common feature of religious liberty violations, and the role that evangelicals could--emphasis on could--play in easing current tensions over clashing rights.

Discussed This Week:

Sacred Liberty: America's Long, Bloody, and Ongoing Struggle for Religious Freedom (Steven Waldman, 2019)

S2 Ep8: Mayor Pete, Democrats, and the Religious Left Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

We are back! (Sort of.) With everyone but your condo board president jumping into the Democratic presidential race, and an astonishing number of them comfortable talking about issues of faith and morality, we couldn't just sit by and watch.

This week Amy is joined by Guest Co-Host Extraordinaire Jack Jenkins, a national correspondent for Religion News Service. Jack has interviewed a number of the Democratic candidates about their faith and has some insights into why Democrats may be recognizing the value of religious progressives.

This episode is the first in a series: "Leveling the Praying Field: Democrats, Religion & 2020." If you have questions you'd like answered or related topics you want to see us tackle, reach out via Twitter at @ImpolitePod.

Discussed This Week:

• Evangelicals helped get Trump into the White House. Pete Buttigieg believes the religious left will get him out. (Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Washington Post)

• Julián Castro: Catholicism 'has never been far from my life'(Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

• Pete Buttigieg on faith, his marriage, and Mike Pence (Father Edward Beck, CNN)

• Pollster says progressive 2020 candidate with faith ties would be valuable asset (The Hill)

• Cory Booker: 'I'm calling for a revival of grace in this country' (Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

• Mayor Pete Buttigieg's countercultural approach to Christianity is what America needs now (Kirsten Powers, USA Today)

• Clip of Pete Buttigieg on Real Time with Bill Maher

• Booker and Warren fuse faith and politics in appeal to mainline preachers (Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

• The real meaning of Barack Obama's speech on religion and politics (Amy Sullivan, Slate)

S2 Ep7: "Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Absentee Ballots" Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

Nish is off this week, so Amy is joined by award-winning journalist Jack Jenkins of Religion News Service for a discussion about the civil religion rituals of American state funerals, allegations of election fraud in a North Carolina congressional race involving a Republican candidate who is also a Southern Baptist pastor, and the potential resurgence of the religious left as a political force.

And because it's December, the Impolite Company Holiday Playlist is back! To listen along with us, go to Spotify and look for "An Impolite Company Holiday"

An earlier version of this episode contained audio difficulties. This version should be problem-free!

S2 Ep6: "Two things can be true at the same time." Nov 16, 2018

Show notes

This week, we dive right into the midterm elections. What does it mean to be in a country that makes great strides in one midterm election - placing a record number of women & religious minorities in office, electing the first openly gay man as a governor, and giving the voting rights back to 1.4 million people - yet, still elects individuals who openly propagate white supremacist ideals? We wrestle with the tension, as well as the data that shows us nothing is really changing, particularly with religious voters.

We spend the second half of the episode talking about the drama around the Conference of US Bishops this week. US Bishops want to make significant, overdue changes in how the Catholic church handles instances of abuse, but the Vatican pulled the e-brake. What's the deal?

If you want to support the show financially--for as little as $1 per month--please visit our Patreon Page to become a monthly patron. We're putting together plans for an audio documentary about campaigns and religion, and your help could free us up to concentrate on it and other show projects.

Discussed on the show this week:

Records broken during the 2018 midterms (BBC)

Record number of women elected to Congress (Vox)

Blue wave, or not? (WaPo)

Voting rights restored to individuals who served time for non-violent felonies in Florida (NPR)

Duncan Hunter wins with islamophobic campaign. (Vox)

Vatican stops US Bishops from voting on sexual abuse responses.(WaPo)

Rome orders US Bishops to wait on their plan to curb sex abuse. (NY Times)

Game of Thrones returns in April for it's final season (Variety)

S2 Ep5: "Call it what it is--it's the erasure of Jews." Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about the massacre of eleven Jews during Shabbat services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

We discuss the right-wing rhetoric--starting with the president--that currently encourages intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism. We talk about how to discuss anti-Semitism with children without also scaring them unnecessarily. And we talk about why the argument that "this was about anti-religiosity" isn't just foolish but also immoral in that it seeks to erase Jews from the narrative.

Discussed This Week (including resources for discussing the Tree of Life massacre and anti-semitism generally with children):

How to Talk to Children About Anti-Semitism (PJ Library)
4 Steps for Talking to Kids About the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting (Sivan Zakai, Kveller)
Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate (Anti-Defamation League)
What Jewish Schools are Telling Students About the Pittsburgh Shooting (Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic)
How Trump and Republicans wield the politics of victimhood (Paul Waldman, Washington Post)
The Bodyguard (Netflix)
Hocus Pocus (Nish's house)
Bang (Acorn TV)

S2 Ep4: "We've rallied when a policy did not strike us as fundamentally fair" Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

This week, Nish talks with Rachel Esplin Odell and Jennifer Walker Thomas, two leaders of the organization Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG). The group recently made news when it called upon the four Mormon Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to take seriously allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.

Rachel and Jennifer talk about how MWEG developed organically after 2016--and particularly out of concern over the Muslim ban and other executive actions that impact refugees and other immigrant communities.

In addition, Nish and Amy discuss a trio of stories related to religious freedom, including a case in which a Catholic pharmacist in Michigan refused to fill the prescription of a woman who was actively miscarrying.

And we bring you some new pop culture recommendations, as well as a reminder to eat all the donuts and drink all the cider while you still can.

Discussed This Week:

Trump administration set to expand religious exemptions to birth control coverage (Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post)

Michigan pharmacist refuses medicine to woman having miscarriage(Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press)

Deep in the desert, case pits immigration crackdown against religious freedom (Ryan Lucas, NPR)

Slow Burn Season 2: The Impeachment of Bill Clinton (Leon Neyfakh, Slate)

W. Kamau Bell: Private School Negro (Netflix)

S2 Ep3: "I am done modulating my emotions to protect you from my rage" Oct 11, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we are done. Done done done.

The Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process is over but we are just getting started. We talk about why calls for civility in the wake of injustice are often calls to silence underrepresented voices. We discuss the fact that so many white women were galvanized to support the Kavanaugh nomination, and why that points to the need for more women leaders in religious spaces.

And we feed our rage with some family-size bags of Peanut M&Ms.

If you want to support the show financially--for as little as $1 per month,please visit our Patreon Pageto become a monthly patron. We're putting together plans for an audio documentary about campaigns and religion, and your help could free us up to concentrate on it and other show projects.

Discussed This Week:

The Waves podcast, "The Rage at Brett Edition"

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger (Rebecca Traister, Simon & Schuster)

Flight of the Conchords: Live in London

The Witch Elm, (Tana French, Viking Press)

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